Leave a Comment

Posted on February 11, 2019 by The Divine Kitchen

Mexican Inspired Fajita Chicken Salad (Paleo!)

Greetings! How’s everyone doing today?

I had a really cool weekend – went to a tarot reading with Earth and Fire Tarot at the Prana House in West Chester. It was interesting – often times, I don’t really know how to think of card readings, even though I do them with myself often. I have dozens of oracle and tarot decks… I know the material is legitimate when I’m the only one pulling them, and all too often, coincidences that are really more than just coincidences happen. In this particular reading, they let me pull my cards – while one could argue that you can make anything work if you’re vague enough, the cards fit very well with one another and were a truthful, accurate and very specific representation of a situation in my life at the moment. At the end, they decided to pull a card for me, from a deck I own. I told them, this particular deck, I have a very strange connection to, and I very frequently get the same card. It’s the Wild Unknown Animal Spirit deck by Kim Krans. The detail within the artwork is absolutely beautiful, and Kim’s descriptions are insightful, comprehensive and honest. The card that frequently comes up is the Dragonfly – and I am grateful that it does. Both in real life and in this card, the dragonfly is this versatile and resilient creature that embraces transformation. It’s born with a finely tuned hunting skill, and requires little to no time in understanding that it can fly, almost immediately. I find that I get this card because I need to be reminded that being aware of your transformation as its happening makes it any less special. In fact, the dragonfly represents the power of self-awareness, knowledge, intuitive thinking and reflection.

As they were just as familiar with this card and its meaning as I was, I wasn’t surprised when they pulled it as expected and gasped and how that was possible. I don’t know, but when ya know, ya just know, ya know? We confirmed what I already knew and off I went.

This wasn’t meant to be a self-righteous post, or me toot-tooting my own horn about something anyone could just chalk up to a “coincidence”. My point is this – there is no such thing as coincidences. Once you take full ownership of your life and surroundings, you suddenly have this knowingness that you never paid attention to. You have a little more peace, and a little more perspective, and a little more confidence. Who couldn’t use a little more of that?

Now, let’s talk some food.

 

Mexican Inspired Fajita Chicken Salad (Paleo!)

Prep time: 25 min

Cook time: 25 min if using an Instant Pot, 45 min if baking 

 

Ingredients

  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
  • 1 heaping tbsp small red onion, finely chopped (or more if preferred)
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
  • 2/3 cup petite diced tomatoes
  • 1 jalapeno, finely chopped with seeds and stems removed (optional)
  • 1/2 cup paleo mayonnaise or Veganaise
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • preferred greens, such as romaine, arugula, spring mix

 

Directions

  1. If using an Instant Pot, place your chicken into the pot and pour chicken or vegetable broth over until pieces are just covered. Seal and cook according to instructions — about 25 minutes. If using an oven, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken into a baking dish and pour broth over, also until just covered. Bake for 40-45 minutes.
  1. Once cooked, allow to cool, remove from broth and shred with a fork. Reserve some of your broth to add to shredded chicken to prevent drying, cover and set aside.
  1. In a small mixing bowl, mix your mayonnaise and apple cider vinegar thoroughly. Add your taco seasoning, salt and pepper, and continue to stir. Set aside.
  1. In a larger mixing bowl, add your shredded chicken and all remaining ingredients except your lettuce. Mix until well combined.
  1. Next, add your mayonnaise mixture, continuing to thoroughly mix. Add salt or pepper to taste.
<li>Serve over crackers, in a wrap, or over a salad.</li>
<li>Enjoy!</li>

-S

Leave a Comment

Posted on February 5, 2019 by The Divine Kitchen

Mushroom and Sage Roasted Turkey Meatballs (PALEO!)

In an interesting turn of events, the weather outside is GLORIOUS! high 50’s, low 60’s. The groundhog did not see his shadow, the snow has melted, and hopefully we don’t get much bad weather from here on out. It certainly feels like the twilight zone, especially with the full moon coming out tonight. After a super fast weekend, I’m ready for some good weather.

I’ll keep this short and sweet — this weekend I had some time to make some glorious little meatballs, and because I couldn’t decide what I wanted, I decided to make two different kinds. Praise be, especially when your turkey meatballs don’t turn out dry. The first one I’ll share with you is below 🙂

Mushroom and Sage Roasted Turkey Meatballs 

Prep time: 20 min

cook time: 30 min

 

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage, divided
  • 1 cup baby bella mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 small/medium sized yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, finely minced or pressed
  • 1 can of coconut milk, shaken
  • 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • Pinch of other thickening gluten free alternative flour, such as potato or tapioca flour

Directions

  1. In a skillet over medium heat, sauté your chopped onion until translucent, stirring frequently to avoid burning — about 4-5 min. Add your garlic, continuing to stir. Next, add your mushrooms and Add a pinch of salt and pepper to season. Sauté, uncovered, until onions start to brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
  1. Next, in a large mixing bowl, add your turkey, half of your sautéed onion and mushrooms, egg, almond flour, 1 tbsp of sage, salt and pepper — mix  thoroughly. If the mixture looks too wet, add more almond flour, 1 tbsp at a time, while stirring. 
  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. On a parchment lined or  greased baking sheet, roll your mixture into your preferred meatball size. I used a cookie scooper, making meatballs about 1.5in in diameter. Space evenly on the baking sheet.
  1. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. The internal temperature should be 155 degrees.
  1. Meanwhile, as the meatballs are baking, add your remaining sage to your skillet of mushroom and onion, over low heat. Add your coconut milk and stir. Allow to simmer for about 5-7 minutes, until the sauce has now thickened slightly. If it’s still runny, feel free to sprinkle in some of your thickening flour, and stir well to combine.
  1. Once meatballs are done cooking in the oven, carefully add them to your sauce pan, and gently stir to coat meatballs. Allow them to simmer for another 3-4 minutes.
  1. Remove from heat and serve.

 

Enjoy!

-S

Leave a Comment

Posted on January 31, 2019 by The Divine Kitchen

Pecan-Crusted Dijon Salmon (Paleo!)

So, about this cold weather. I found a picture of someone’s toilet on the internet where the water in their tank froze and BROKE! The toilet tank. As in, the toilet tank is gone, and all that’s left behind is a huge chunk of water. It was a solid brick of water. Look at this! This is wild. I never thought I’d be so jazzed about a picture of a toilet. I hope everyone across the country is staying warm… it’s dangerous outside, and my dog has gone to the bathroom twice now on the front porch because that’s as far as she can bare to go.

Re: enduring this cold while I’m indoors… right before Christmas I bought myself a robe. I did not consider myself a robe person, by any stretch of the imagination. I lounge in leggings and a shirt, and I don’t go barefoot between November and April unless I’m showering, or sleeping (I’m not a total psycho, who wears socks to bed? Yikes). Why would I need a robe, I thought.

Well. Let me tell you.

Let the temperature outside reach -3, and I am a robe person now. I had on fuzzy socks, the Alo leggings with the foot warmers, a thermal, a sweatshirt with a hood, and a robe. I could’ve slept outside in the snow and still be warm, honestly. I imagine this is what a sheep may feel like before getting sheared… just warm, cozy, and completely insulated. It’s literally the greatest feeling ever. I mean, I probably looked like a Dementor, but function over fashion, baby. That’s the business.

Aside from this cold weather, another thing coming up that I really don’t care for is the Super bowl. Though I do not care one bit about the game, I am PUMPED to eat super bowl food. I have a few recipe ideas, and if it stays this cold, that’ll make it a great day. Stay tuned for more recipes on that front.

On a more exciting front, do you know what else is coming up? The new moon! When it comes to lunar phases, I think that recognizing where you are on the lunar calendar is a great way to link this up with your intentions for what’s going on in your life. Think about it, a new moon is just that- a clean slate, a blank canvas. You get a chance to start fresh if you need it, even if it isn’t the start of a new year. The full moon is when your intentions for your life are likely most up front and apparent, but a new moon is when you can stop and say, “I can start this over. I can change this if I want to.”  Take this time to plan our where you want to be in a month, 6 months, a year, five years. It’s not even a concrete plan that you’re bound to for eternity, because you can revisit this every few weeks.  Think of the New Moon as your check in — do you need a recharge on your enthusiasm for your goals? As the New Moon is on Feb 4th, in Aquarius, take the time to be creative, flexible, unconventional and really fluid in your goals. Live a little. Enjoy.

That being said, the best way to enjoy one’s self (in my eyes!) is to EAT food you really enjoy making and savoring. I got a Butcher Box right before Christmas, and in defrosting the last of it, I had some pieces of salmon left. What better way to enjoy it than with a tasty marinade? Keep reading for more delicious details 🙂

Pecan-Crusted Dijon Salmon (Paleo!)

 

Prep time: 20 min

Cook time: 15 min

 

Ingredients

  • 4 6oz boneless wild-caught salmon fillets, skin removed
  • ½ cup Grey Poupon mustard
  • 1 large clove of garlic, finely minced or pressed
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 (ish) tsp salt
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • 1 small shallot, finely minced
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • Pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup of raw pecans, finely chopped/crushed
  • ½ tsp garlic powder

Directions

  1. In a dry, preferably non-stick frying pan over medium heat, add your pecans, half of your salt, garlic powder and a pinch of paprika. Stir frequently to prevent burning. Toast until thoroughly golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
  1. In a mixing bowl, add your Dijon, honey, garlic, olive oil, your remaining salt, shallots and paprika. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Add your salmon to the bowl, and coat thoroughly with mix. Let stand in refrigerator for 30 minutes, up to 2-3 hours.
  1. Once ready to cook, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place salmon in a greased baking dish, making sure to use as much of the marinade as available. Coat with crushed pecans, making sure to cover the sides – you may need to pat them on to ensure they stick. Sprinkle with a pinch of pepper, and bake until opaque and flaky, about 13-15 minutes (or more, if needed).

Serve with my Garlic Paprika Thyme Sweet Potato Fries, Roasted Broccoli with Goat Cheese and Walnuts, Chipotle Caesar Salad or Quinoa Kale Salad. Enjoy!

-S

 

Leave a Comment

Posted on January 30, 2019 by The Divine Kitchen

5 Great Everyday Benefits of Chamomile

Greetings, foodies. Guess what? It’s going down to 4 degrees tonight. Guess what else? I saw that in Fargo, ND, the windchill is going to be -54 degrees FAHRENHEIT! Is that even livable? What happens to your house, do the walls literally just shatter? Where are your dogs? Does fire actually still… work??? Honest questions. I struggle with 30 degrees. I can’t even comprehend weather that cold. My hands and lips are already crusty from this cold weather, I lotion about every 45 minutes, drink about 8 bottles of water… everything is just so DRY.

Queue to a friend of mine at work giving me a nice  big bag of dried chamomile flowers from Barefoot Botanicals. I have some jojoba oil that I’m going to infuse with the chamomile for dry skin. I love to use that kind of thing rather than store-bought lotions, that way I’m sure of what’s in them. I had a bad reaction to a lotion I thought I really liked that was seemingly “natural” – smelled like coconut, had coconut oil in it, was made by a small business, etc. I come to find out, the ingredients were artificial, sourced overseas and god knows what I was actually using. Maybe a few drops of an essential oil I’m feeling (lavender, ylang ylang, maybe some citrus), and I have myself a nice skin oil.

Speaking of, I want to  share with you a lot of great things you can use chamomile for. It’s definitely a useful thing to keep around the house, so be sure to go grab some and stock your pantry with it! Unfortunately Barefoot Botanicals is out of stock, but you can find some to order online here!

5 Great Everyday Benefits of Chamomile

Anti-Itch Remedy for Bug Bites

Chamomile is great for reducing the pain and itchiness insect bites due to the elevated levels of quercetin and luteolin, two types of flavonoids found within the buds. For lack of some science-y stuff, it it contains stuff that suppresses the production of certain enzymes that your body produces as a response to the bug bites. Drinking a cup of chamomile tea is great, but a bath with a few tea bags couldn’t hurt!

Better Sleep

Having trouble sleeping? A cup of chamomile tea before bed has been known to act as a calming agent due to the flavanoid it contains, apigenin. This bonds to benzodiazepine receptors in your brain that are known to reduce anxiety and stress, making it easier to sleep.

Relief from Acid Reflux

Chamomile is known to calm an upset stomach, but it’s also useful for acid reflux, which is something I am VERY happy I know. Studies have shown that it can calm the muscles within the digestive tract and can support a proper pH within your stomach acid by inhibiting helicobacter pylori, a bacteria that contributes to stomach ulcers.  A helpful tip would be to drink this after a large meal to aid in digestion.

Minor Scrapes, Cuts and Burns

Using chamomile as a natural means to help heal superficial wounds has shown to be highly effective. In a scientific study, a trial showed that the antimicrobial properties of chamomile helped speed the process of epithelialization (skin cell regeneration) and wound contraction (further healing). In addition to disinfecting, you can heal your boo-boos faster with chamomile!

Sun Burn Relief

Who’s had sunburn? Yeah, not proud of the number of times I’ve let this happen… but it does. Remember those anti-inflammatory properties of chamomile I mentioned before? It’s great for reducing inflammation after a long day out in the sun. That, coupled with its ability to promote faster skin cell generation, may greatly reduce the pain of a pesky sunburn.

Hopefully these tips make your life a little easier and give you a little boost with all this cold weather. Enjoy!

-S

Sources:

Chamomile: a herbal medicine of the past with a bright future. Srivastava, Shankar, Gupta, 2010. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995283/

Chamomile: An ancient pain remedy and a modern gout relief – A hypothesis. Hamed, Ali, Sanaz, Afshin, Afagh, Feb 2012. https://academicjournals.org/journal/AJPP/article-abstract/F0DF1C635194

Functional foods with digestion-enhancing properties. Marco Valussi, 2012. https://doi.org/10.3109/09637486.2011.627841

Leave a Comment

Posted on January 22, 2019 by The Divine Kitchen

Sweet Potato “Crostini” with Red Pepper Bruschetta (Paleo!)

Ah… the full moon. Sunday was an interesting day for it. My friend and I went out shopping, and the predicted temperature was supposed to dip down to about 4 degrees F that night. We planned to make dinner, and we had to go to 3 different grocery stores to find onions, ground turkey and ginger. Apparently, people in this area thought they weren’t going to be able to go outside… or… eat turkey. It was a really strange day that ended with a giant tarp blowing across the road and into/onto a man’s pick-up truck and then onto mine, and then finding that my cat got stuck in my room and peed on my expensive dress coat because he panicked. Again, very… interesting day.

I started off this year really strong, actually. Not to say that my year is not still strong, but I was really intentional about my new year’s plans. I had maybe 1-2 drinks at a very small get-together, went to bed at 12:30, and woke up at 7, did some yoga/stretching, and went to the gym. I’ve made an effort to be much more aware of my thoughts, what I want to happen, and want I want, in general. The first week of January, I came across a numerology article about what this “year” is considered, and it says it’s a “3” year. It said that we’re already familiar with this number because our lives revolve around this number – we are on the third planet from the sun, we are made of mind, body and soul, good and bad things come in three’s. After calculating my personal number for 2019, I found that I am also a number 3 for this year. It felt spot on – I’ve said “This year is my year!” before, but this year, it actually feels accurate. It says my creativity and abundance are up on deck to shine, and I honestly couldn’t agree more. I think the thing that keeps me going is truly believing that this kind of energy really is limitless. If you put into practice the idea that your thoughts really do dictate your situation (your job, happiness, wealth, friendships, etc.), it really does happen. It’s so simple, yet so hard for a lot of us. My advice? Invest in yourself, and meditate. Do some yoga. It took me YEARS to learn how to settle into my hot yoga classes and focus – dozens of times to meditate and no longer wonder ‘was I just sort of sleeping?’ This stuff pays off, and it allows you to really connect with what’s going on around (and above) you.

I find that the frustrations of 2018 haven’t left me, they’re definitely still around. I’m just less mad about them, or more sure that they’ll fade or get better, whether I have control over it or not.  This full moon that happened on Monday was a total lunar eclipse. While eclipses sound like darkness, uncertainty, or unexpected events, there’s place for the confidence and courage to accept the change that is coming. This year is more of a reset button – to take a moment to pause and drop what isn’t serving you. Are you feeling really independent and capable? Awesome, that’s where you should be. This moon was huge – it was closer to us and it was close enough to leave behind some energy to those most sensitive or most in need of it. The moral of the story is this – this year, energetically, we have a leg-up to get ourselves through some challenges… much like our earthly New Years’ resolutions, this is only the beginning. Don’t give up yet.

I actually have a few recipes to post in the next few days, but every now and again I like to post a recipe for an appetizer, for a party. Now’s a great time to have some friends over – it’s colder than a witch’s bittie right now, so why not sit indoors and sip wine and eat snacks with your friends?!

Sweet Potato “Crostini” with Red Pepper Bruschetta (Paleo!)

Prep time: 20 min

Cook time: 45 min

Ingredients

For the sweet potatoes:

  • 3 long (or at least more skinny) sweet potatoes, cut into ½ centimeter slices
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp dried parsley

For the bruschetta:

  • 4-5 pound roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
  • 1 roasted red pepper, chopped
  • ½ small red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 small handful of fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 small handful of fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp (ish) balsamic vinegar
  • 3/4 tsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp garlic, chopped
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. In a small dish, mix together your first parts of olive oil, paprika, and salt/pepper. Place your sweet potato slices on a greased or lined cookie sheet and brush with oil mixture on both sides. Bake for 20-25 minutes until starting to brown, then flip sweet potato pieces over onto other side for remaining 20-25 minutes, until brown (but not burnt!).
  3. While the sweet potatoes are cooking, grab a small bowl for the dressing. Whisk together the dressing ingredients (olive oil, balsamic, red wine vinegar, garlic, salt/pepper) until mixed. Add your tomato, onion and roasted red pepper, and allow to sit and marinate.
  4. Once sweet potato slices are cooked, remove from heat and allow to cool on a rack to allow them to crisp. Once cool to the touch, spoon some bruschetta onto each slice, and garnish with parsley and basil.

Serve, and enjoy 🙂

-S

Want to browse?

Create a website or blog at WordPress.com